Unfortunately, the poor AI ties into the second issue, which is the ultra-repetitiveness of the game. Soaring at top speed atop what looks like the Grand Canyon is fun for twenty minutes, but after while, even discovering new pathways seems uninteresting. If the game would have been harder, or relied on more than the same few obstacle elements to add some variety to the gameplay, this wouldn't have been such an issue. To their credit, they do try to add some variety with an "Off-Road" mode that allows you to make your own custom races with custom crash, boost, and track settings, but the weak AI keeps this mode from being really interesting, as the parameters don't matter too much when you are pounding the competition over and over again.

Production-wise, Nail'd has fairly good standing. The different tracks, in addition to being ridiculously large, also feature a different number of landscapes, which are all rendered with loving detail. However, one of the biggest problems with the visuals is that they rely a little too much on stock animations during collisions. One of the most exciting facets of arcade-style races is crashing, and that's one area that Nail'd gets totally wrong. No matter how you bump into something, or what it is, the crash animations are the same. Though it is a little bit comical to see your onscreen avatar blasting out of their seat the same way after crashing into a tree and a train, the humor effect wears off quickly and the effect becomes tedious and annoying.

Sound in the game also is pretty good, and the game's soundtrack features some decent (albeit generic) rock music by a number of somewhat-notable artists, including Queens of the Stone Age. The automotive sounds, however, are not of good quality, and the ATV rev sound is repeated way too many times and becomes agitating to listen to almost instantly.

Nail'd is a fairly good game if you only want to kill a few hours. The incredibly fantastical approach it takes to ATV racing is certainly interesting, and makes for a stupendous amount of fun for a short time. However, the game's lack of challenging AI, as well its more repetitive aspects, make it a game that you'll probably only want to pick up once it hits the rental queue or the bargain bin.

By
Amanda L. Kondolojy
CCC Freelance Writer

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

3.4

GraphicsTracks are nicely detailed and feature some unique obstacle encounters. However, the visual scheme overall can get a little repetitive.

3.2

ControlControls are extremely simplistic and take no time to learn.

3.4

Music / Sound FX / Voice ActingSoundtrack features a few good tracks, but ATV sounds are repetitive.

3.0

Play ValueThe game is very easy, and won't take you very long to whiz through.

3.3

Overall Rating - GoodNot an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend

0.1 - 1.9 = Avoid

2.5 - 2.9 = Average

3.5 - 3.9 = Good

4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy

2.0 - 2.4 = Poor

3.0 - 3.4 = Fair

4.0 - 4.4 = Great

5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

High-Octane Speed - Nail'd aims to be the fastest off-road racer of them all - each track is engineered to keep you on the edge of your seat with anticipation of what's behind the next hairpin bend; what's more, utilize the amazing turbo boost ability for incentives rather than points, supercharging the game's sense of lightning-fast speed

Extreme Terrain - Nail'd, while set in real-life locations such as Yosemite Park, is designed to reflect the over-the-top arcade nature of the game; this is a world where impossible tracks and broken and bent laws of physics reign supreme

Over the Top Jumps - There's nothing like flying off a cliff edge and then falling half a mile towards the ground; throw-in dodging the blades of several towering wind turbines and struggling to nail the perfect landing with your opponents trying to knock you from your ride; if big air' in other games is earth-sized, Nail'd is like a twin galaxy of stomach-in-mouth terror

Intense Head to Head Action - Up to eleven AI opponents will keep you on your toes; they say death comes from above and that's very often the case in Nail'd; it's not all one way though, you can knock opponents from their vehicles and for extreme punishment you can deal a crushing blow from the sky by landing on top of your opponents